The British government has officially opened an inquiry into “fake news.” Damian Collins MP, Chair of the Committee investigating, summed it up: “The growing phenomenon of fake news is a threat to democracy and undermines confidence in the media in general.”

Fake news is a “growing cause for concern around the world, with implications for an informed electorate and democracy itself,” the group said in its letter to the committee.

One way to help insure accuracy would be to pay for it. “The NMA would be happy to explore licensing schemes… to ensure that publishers’ investment in news is adequately recognized,” the letter said.

As talk of fact-checkers on Facebook has surfaced, I’ve wondered why companies would do that for free. Facebook takes all the content that others generate, makes money off of it, and then abdicates any responsibility to make sure the content is legit… and then asks other companies to do the work for it to make sure it’s not fake.

While the service is needed, it shouldn’t be a free ride. Some European news organizations, particularly in Germany, have pushed back against Facebook, asking for payment for fact-checking.

“Just as major tech companies have accepted they have a social responsibility to combat piracy online and the illegal sharing of content, they also need to help address the spreading of fake news on social media platforms.” – Damian Collins MP, Chair of the Committee